The Dominican Republic can boast 70% of the world market of organic cacao, with an annual production of some 3,378 metric tons. According to a report from the Ministry of Agriculture featured in Listin Diario, this represents US$4.8 million in exports for the country. Some 401,553 tareas are planted nationwide, or 16.5% of all cacao planted worldwide. The largest producers are the association of farmers gathered under Confederacion Nacional de Cacaocultores (Conacado) with 49.8% of the totality of land in production. Nazario Rizek follows with 15.8% and then Comercial Roig with 13.2%. Other companies are Munne, Paiewonsky, Cortes, Garcia y Mejia, Yacao and the Asociacion de Productores de Cacao del Cibao (Aproci). The Ministry of Agriculture estimates that 300,000 people make a living from cacao production. 61% of cacao is produced in the northeast, followed by 13 in the East, 10% in the central areas, 9% in the north and 7% in the north-central areas.
The Dominican Republic is a leading exporter of conventional cacao, ranked third in America and eighth in the world with 40,798 metric tons of production a year, generating US$55 million in exports.
The president of the Agribusiness Council (JAD), Jose Antonio Martinez Rojas believes that the DR could become the first exporter of cacao in the world this year, overtaking Ecuador, which has had production problems.